Forbidden Fruit is Always the Sweetest
by Erin Salvatore
Summary: AU/AH. Caroline Forbes is a student at the Mystic Falls Academy for the Gifted. She has done her best to abide by the rules. However, when she meets Klaus Mikaelson, the new head of the Disciplinary Committee, will she succumb to temptation and break the rules?
1. Chapter 1

**Forbidden Fruit is Always the Sweetest**

**by Erin Salvatore**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Yeah, this idea came to me a while back and I kept putting off writing it, but since I don't want my muse to be a nag, I decided to go ahead with it. It's a Klaroline AU/AH. The plot centers around Caroline Forbes, a student at the Mystic Falls Academy for the Gifted. She tries to consider herself a good girl, but when she is assigned to work alongside Klaus Mikaelson, the new head of the Disciplinary Committe, all that will change, especially when sparks begin to fly.**_

_**Don't ask, I'm just in a really weird mood.**_

**Chapter 1**

_Mystic Falls Academy for the Gifted..._

"_You're beautiful, you're strong, you're full of light. I enjoy you." - Klaus to Caroline, 3x14, "Dangerous Liasions"_

Caroline Forbes felt her heart pound as she made her way toward the dean's office. She couldn't understand why she had been summoned there when she hadn't done anything wrong. Besides, she always tried to adhere to the rules ever since she arrived for her freshman year, and she had no intention of resorting to bad habits now, especially not her senior year. If she screwed up, she would lose the scholarship to Virginia State University, to which she had been accepted for next year.

_I really don't get it,_ she thought. _Why would they summon me to the office? I've never broken a rule once since I got here. Well, I guess I'll find out whether I want to or not._

After what seemed like an eternity, Caroline arrived at the dean's office, her heart pounding louder than before she began her trek. Inhaling and exhaling several times, she walked in and saw someone sitting in one of the chairs across from the dean's desk. Funny, Caroline didn't remember anyone else being summoned here besides herself, so why would there be another person there?

Her curiosity getting the better of her, she proceeded toward the room. When she got closer, she saw that it was a man.

Closing her eyes, she whispered to herself, "Please be hot, please be hot, please be hot."

Sure enough, when she walked in, the man looked at her and Caroline saw that he was hot. Wait, scratch that, he was gorgeous, with short, slightly curly dark blonde hair, greenish blue eyes that seemed to pierce through to her soul, a body that was being hugged in all the right places by suit he was wearing, and lips that she could imagine herself kissing and nibbling.

She was still staring at him when Dr. Jonas Martin, the dean, spoke up. "Ah, Miss Forbes, right on time. We've been expecting you."

Caroline blinked and shook her head. "What's going on, Dr. Martin? I'm not in trouble, am I?"

"No, Miss Forbes, you're not in trouble," said Dr. Martin. "I called you down here because there's someone here I'd like you to meet. This is Klaus Mikaelson. He's the new head of the Disciplinary Committee. I figured that since you're one of our Honor Roll students, you'd be perfect to assist him during your free period."

The man, named Klaus, smiled at her. "Pleased to meet you, Caroline. I've heard nothing but good things about you from Dr. Martin here."

Caroline returned his smile. "I should hope so. If you look at my records, you can see that I've done my best to keep my nose clean."

As she finished speaking, Caroline saw that Klaus was still looking at her, causing her to bite her lip and blush slightly. _I wish he'd stop staring at me. It's bad enough that he's the hottest guy in the room, but I'm seriously going to lose it if he doesn't stop staring at me._

Clearing her throat, she said, "May I be excused, Dr. Martin?" _Shit, I sounded like a six-year-old just now. Great, what else can happen to me, besides being chosen to assist this obviously gorgeous guy that keeps staring at me like I'm the only dessert at the buffet table?_

"Of course," said Dr. Martin. "I'll write you a pass and you can head to History."

As Dr. Martin was writing the pass, Klaus saw that Caroline was trying to avoid making eye contact with him. Actually, he was having a hard time keeping his eyes off her. She was a very beautiful girl, with long, golden blonde hair that seemed to rival the summer sun, blue eyes that could make the strongest man weak at the knees, a body that a man would have to be blind and stupid not to notice, and lips that he'd give his right arm to kiss and nibble.

After a few minutes, Dr. Martin gave Caroline the pass and just before she was about to leave, Klaus said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Caroline."

Caroline nodded, not looking at him. "Likewise, Mr. Mikaelson."

"There's really no need to be formal with me. Call me Klaus. Mr. Mikaelson makes me sound old."

Caroline rolled her eyes at that. _Old? Who's he kidding? He's probably about thirty, old enough to be my brother, and he's worried about formalities?_

"Okay, _Klaus_," she said. "I guess I'll see you later then."

Not giving Klaus a chance to reply, she walked out the door, closing it behind her. Klaus raised an eyebrow at that. He wondered if he had said or done anything to make her uncomfortable. Oh well, he was going to be seeing her during her free period anyway, so that would give him an opportunity to talk to her, get to know her. That is, if she'd let him.

"She's quite an impressive girl."

"Yes, Caroline is one of our top students here," said Dr. Martin. "Not only has she been on the Honor Roll for three years, going on four, but she's also the President of the Student Council, captain of the cheer squad, and the current Miss Mystic Falls."

Klaus blinked. Shit, was there nothing that wasn't on Caroline's list of achievements? No wonder they thought she was qualified to assist him, especially with a record like that. _I wonder, though, if she's ever once been tempted to break a rule or two? I guess I'll find out soon enough. Girls Caroline's age can't be perfect angels all the time. There's bound to be a devil within them just itching to come out._

_**Note: Yep, after months of putting it off, I've finally written another new Klaroline fic. Caroline is 18 here, in case you're wondering. And there will be romance in here as the story progresses. I'm going to build up to it, I promise. For now, I wanted to have our leads meet.**_

_**Enjoy! Reviews are love!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Forbidden Fruit is Always the Sweetest," Caroline is summoned to Dr. Martin's office, where she meets the hunky new head of the Disciplinary Committee.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews so far! You guys are amazing!**_

_Caroline & Elena's Dorm Room – That Same Moment..._

Elena Gilbert sighed as she stared up at the ceiling, pretending to count the dots on the tiles. She had played hooky from her classes today, pretending to be sick so that she didn't have to see her ex-boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore, swapping spit with Katherine Pierce, whom she dubbed his "Thingie," because it left a sour taste in her mouth to call her his girlfriend.

She was then startled out of her reverie by a knock at the door. Who could be coming by like this? It couldn't be Caroline, because she had gone to class several hours ago. Curious as to who the mystery visitor was, Elena forced herself out of bed and, throwing her robe on over her pajamas, walked over to the door and opened it to reveal...

"Damon?"

Damon Salvatore, Stefan's cousin and Elena's new boyfriend, smirked at her, his blue eyes glistening with lust and love. "Hello, gorgeous."

Elena blinked. "How the hell did you get in here? You know that boys aren't allowed in the girls' dorms. Suppose Old Lady Char gets a hold of you?"

Damon scoffed at the mention of Pearl Char, the head mistress at the girls' dorm. "Please, like that old bitch has a chance in catching me. She's no different than the idiots I outsmarted at the last school I attended."

Elena sighed, knowing that it was futile to argue with Damon. Finally, she stepped back and opened the door further for him to walk in. Damon smiled and entered, looking around at the décor as Elena closed the door behind him, after which he looked at how Elena was dressed, his earlier smirk returning.

"Cute PJs. Let me guess, you played hooky today?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah. I didn't want to go to class, so I pretended to be sick."

"Nice," said Damon. "And what is the illness du jour? Do you have I-Hate-My-Teacher-So-I-Cut-Class-itis? Or the dreaded My-Boyfriend-Has-A-New-Girlfriend-And-I-Can't-Stand-Her virus?"

"The second one."

Damon nodded. "I see. And I suppose that has something to do with my idiot cousin?"

"It has everything to do with him," said Elena. "Ever since he hooked up with Miss...'Thingie,' I can't stand the sight of him with her. Don't misunderstand me, I don't regret being with you, but I just wish that Stefan had better taste in girls, that is." She saw the amused look on Damon's face. "What?"

"'Thingie'? That's your name for her? 'Thingie'?" said Damon. "Elena, that's something a two-year-old would call his father's dick because he can't say it."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Damon, did you sneak in here just to make fun of my name for the girl your asshole cousin is currently dating, or are you here for a different reason?"

Damon approached her and pulled her into his arms. "How's this for an answer?"

Not giving her a chance to reply, he kissed her roughly, caressing her body with his hands. Elena returned his kiss and moaned against his mouth as their tongues collided, her body on fire as he continued to touch her. Shit, the things he could do to her to make her forget her frustrations.

Pulling back after a few minutes, she said, her lips swollen from making out, "Good answer." She nibbled on his bottom lip, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. "Come on, cowboy, how about we go for a ride?"

Damon smirked and carried her to the bed, setting her down and kissing her again, slipping her robe off and throwing it onto the floor. He then lifted her T-shirt up over her head, Elena pulling his off in return. Damon left her lips and trailed his kisses from her jawline to her earlobe, nibbling it playfully with his teeth, down to the valley between her breasts, his cock springing to life when he saw that she wasn't wearing a bra. He licked the tender nipples with his tongue and Elena, feeling his hot breath against her skin, let out a pleasurable scream, her fingers clutching onto his hair, which felt like black velvet against her hands.

Damon then gently pushed her down onto the bed, climbing on top of her and slowly removing her pajama bottoms and panties. Elena panted and trembled as she felt what he was doing. God, how she loved him. Why she dated his loser cousin first was beyond her, especially since Stefan never made her blood boil with ecstasy the way Damon was right now.

She made short work of his belt and undid the button and zipper of his jeans, pulling them, along with his boxers, his hard erection against her hand making her shiver even more. Damon spread her legs apart and drove his throbbing cock into her core, groaning at how hot and tight she was. Clutching her hips, he then began to thrust, slowly at first, then gradually picked up speed. Elena gyrated her hips in time with his thrusts, keeping in perfect sync with him.

Damon leaned in and kissed her hotly, his love for her exploding around them like fireworks. He felt himself getting closer to the edge and, pulling back from her lips, he screamed out as he came inside her, Elena following suit half a beat later. She then rolled over so that she was on top, riding him hard and fast as she kissed and nibbled his lips.

"I love you, Damon."

Damon smiled against her lips and returned her kiss. "I love you too, _amore mia_."

_2 Hours Later..._

Caroline sighed as she approached the dorm room. She wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing Klaus, especially since she had felt more than a little uncomfortable with him staring at her with those greenish blue eyes of his. Shit, why did the new head of the Disciplinary Committee have to be so damn gorgeous? She was definitely going to have her work cut out for her, that was for sure.

Sighing again, she used her key and opened the door. When she walked in, she saw Damon and Elena in bed together and gasped, covering her eyes.

"Jesus Christ, what the hell are you two doing?"

Damon smirked at the embarrassed blonde. "Hey, Caroline. You want to get in on this? I'm always willing to try new things, and having two girls in bed with me at the same time is definitely fun."

Elena scowled and swatted his tattooed arm. "Damon!" She looked at Caroline. "I'm sorry you had to see us like this, Caroline. Damon snuck in here and..."

"Spare me the gory details, Elena, because I don't want to hear it," said Caroline. "I'm just here to put my things down and then, I'm off to start my new...job, if you can call it that."

"New job?" said Elena. "What new job?"

Caroline sighed. "There's this new head of the Disciplinary Committee and Dr. Martin roped me into assisting him because of my perfect record. As you can plainly see, I'm not exactly looking forward to it because...well, the guy is totally gorgeous and he was undressing me with his eyes from the moment I walked in."

Damon smirked. "Kind of like what _I_ did just now."

Caroline growled at him. "You're disgusting, Damon. I swear, Elena must be a saint to put up with you." She sighed. "I just hope that I can keep my cool with Klaus and try not to flirt with him, no matter how gorgeous he is."

"Klaus?"

"That's his name," said Caroline. "Klaus Mikaelson." She sighed again. "Anyway, I'll leave you two to whatever you were doing. And don't worry, I won't tell Old Lady Char on you."

That being said, Caroline placed her school bag down, grabbed her purse, and walked out of the room, trying desperately not to think about being naked with Klaus the way Elena was naked with Damon.

_**Note: Yeah, I made Damon and Stefan cousins instead of brothers. And the school this story takes place in is a boarding school, hence the dorms thing. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Forbidden Fruit is Always the Sweetest," Caroline walks in on Damon and Elena shortly after they have sex.**_

_**Thank you so much for the great reviews so far! You guys are awesome!**_

_Klaus' Office – Later..._

Klaus smiled to himself as he sat at his desk, his sketch book in hand. He had gotten inspired to do another drawing after the long dry spell he had been experiencing just before Dr. Martin hired him. Art was one of his passions, and several of his portraits were hanging in museums and art galleries. One particular piece of his was currently on display in the Hermitage, which was a great honor, even though Klaus didn't donate the painting for the glory.

He was just about finished with the sketch when he heard a soft knock on the door frame caused him to look up and smiled again when he saw Caroline. In fact, she was the one who inspired him to do the drawing, which oddly enough, was of her.

It was quiet for a minute or two before she said, "Was I interrupting anything important?"

Klaus shook his head. "No, not at all." He noticed that she looked a little frazzled. "Are you all right? You seem agitated about something."

Caroline hesitated. Did she dare tell him about the scene she had walked in on? "I'm fine. It's just that I saw something so totally gross that I wish I could get a lobotomy so I don't have to think about it." She noticed a painting on the wall. "Wow, this is nice." She looked at Klaus. "Did you do this?"

"I did, actually."

"No way," said Caroline. "So, you're an artist? Why the hell didn't they hire as an art teacher instead of the head of the Disciplinary Committee?" She looked at the painting again. "You're obviously talented. The art teacher we currently have sucks. She couldn't paint her way out of a paper bag if her life depended on it."

Klaus looked at Caroline as she looked at the painting. Even though she seemed to have calmed down, he could tell that she was still tense, even if she didn't specify the reason.

"Would you like to have dinner with me, Caroline?"

Caroline blinked at his question and turned to face. "Dinner?"

"Yes."

"Why?" said Caroline. "You barely know me. And I barely know you."

"That's why I asked," said Klaus. "It's obvious that you're still tense about whatever it is you saw before you came here, which will make concentrating on our tasks difficult. So, I thought that as a way to break the ice a little, we'd have dinner. Think of it as a way of getting to know each other."

Caroline didn't know what to think about that. Was it her imagination or did Klaus just ask her out? To her, it seemed unlikely, since she only just met him hours ago. True, he was undeniably gorgeous and his thick, rich British accent could make any woman worth her salt turn into a puddle of goo, but the truth was, she wasn't sure just what to make of it.

_Oh, come on, Caroline, _she thought. _What's the harm in having dinner with him? It's not like it's a date or anything. Didn't he say that it was a way of getting to know him? And if you don't feel comfortable with him, just let him down easy._

"All right, Klaus, you win," she said. "I'll have dinner with you."

Klaus smiled. "Good." He got up from his desk. "I believe that the dining room is open all night, since they told me that students like to go there to have midnight snacks."

"Actually, I have a better idea," said Caroline. "There's a restaurant in town called the Mystic Grill. I've eaten there a few times, and they've even got pool tables so that if you want to shoot pool after dinner, we could do that." _So much for it not being a date._

Klaus nodded. "Excellent."

Caroline forced a smile at that. She saw him approach her, and her heart skipped several beats, her breath catching in her throat. _Keep your cool, Caroline. He might be incredibly gorgeous and his accent is like music to your ears, but try not to flirt with him._

Klaus offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

Caroline nodded and took his arm. "Yes, we shall."

Klaus smiled and they walked out of his office, arm in arm.

_Mystic Grill – A Short Time Later..._

The Mystic Grill was bustling with activity as Klaus and Caroline walked in. Apparently, it was quite popular and Klaus could see why Caroline picked it over the dining room back at the school. He heard some giggling and looked to see some girls looking at him, waving and smiling. Caroline scoffed at this. Honestly, you'd think these prissy little bitches had been living under a rock their whole lives and never saw a hot guy before.

She tightened her grip on Klaus' arm, as though to show possession. Klaus noticed this and smiled at her. "Why, Caroline, are you...jealous of those girls?"

Caroline looked at him. "Jealous? Me? Of them? Please, those bitches aren't worth my time." _Bullshit, you're totally jealous of them, _her mind scolded her. _Why else do you have your arm around Klaus' in a death grip? Admit it, you don't want them to come anywhere near Klaus._

She saw a table near the pool tables and they went to sit down. Once they were seated, she grabbed a menu and looked it over. Truth was, she wasn't hungry, but she should at least get something while they were here.

"So, what was it you saw before you came to my office?"

Caroline looked up from her menu. "Huh?"

"You told me you saw something," said Klaus. "What was it?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You're still on that? Klaus, that's personal information."

"It obviously had you upset," said Klaus. "You don't have to tell me every single detail, just some tidbits. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone. What gets said between us stays between us, you have my word."

Caroline sighed. "Well, if you really want to know, I kind of walked in on my roommate just after she had sex with her boyfriend." She shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "I tell you, it wasn't exactly the prettiest picture to paint, no pun intended. Like I said, I'm tempted to get a lobotomy to erase the memory of it."

"No wonder you were frazzled." Klaus gently took her free hand in his. "I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable telling me."

"No, it's okay," said Caroline. "You gave me your word that you weren't going to tell anyone else."

There was a silence between them for the next minute or two, neither one of them speaking. Klaus then looked toward the pool tables and then back at Caroline, a smile on his face.

"I think I might shoot a little pool. Care to join me?"

Caroline blinked at that and then looked at the pool tables and back at him. "Okay, sure. Why not?"

Klaus smiled again and led her to a vacant pool table, got everything set up, and handed her a stick. "Ladies first, Caroline."

Caroline nodded and got into position, aiming the stick at the cue ball, and broke the pack, sending two balls into both the side and corner pockets respectively. Klaus was impressed to say the least, since he hadn't expected this.

"Your turn, Klaus."

Klaus was brought out of his reverie by Caroline's voice. Nodding, he got into position and aimed the cue ball at the one he wanted to sink. Caroline watched him carefully, biting her lip. _Please let him make this shot._

Sure enough, when Klaus' stick made contact with the cue ball, it hit its target dead on and it landed in the same corner pocket that one of the balls Caroline hit went into. Once they went in, Klaus looked toward Caroline.

"How's that? Not bad for a newcomer, huh?"

"No, not bad at all," said Caroline. "You're better than I thought you'd be."

_Yeah, keep telling yourself that,_ she thought. _You're just trying to deny the fact that you want to kiss him savagely and rip his clothes off. Face it, Caroline, you want this man. You want him so badly that the rules you've obeyed up until now mean shit to you._

_Several Hours Later..._

Caroline tried to keep her cool as she and Klaus returned to the school. She may have wanted to admit it, but she had a good time tonight and she wondered if there would be any more like this. Wait, did she want there to be more like this? True, tonight was fun and all, but was she willing to risk everything just because she found Klaus irresistible?

She didn't say a word as Klaus walked her to the entrance of the girls' dorms. Truth was, she hadn't expected him to do it, but she figured that he was doing it to make sure she got there safely.

When they reached the door, there was another silence until Caroline spoke up. "I had a great time, Klaus. Thank you for dinner and the pool game."

Klaus smiled. "It was my pleasure, Caroline. I hope to do this again soon."

Caroline was about to say something, but she never got the chance because he leaned in and kissed her softly and passionately. When the initial shock wore off, Caroline returned his kiss, moaning against his mouth as their tongues collided. A few minutes later, she stepped back, reluctantly breaking the kiss.

"Good night, Klaus."

She walked past him and opened the door to the building. Klaus watched her as she walked, licking his lips, tasting the sweetness of the kiss they just shared, fully intending on there being more like it. Of course, he told himself not to rush things, mainly because he didn't want to scare Caroline off before he got the opportunity to really be with her.

_**Note: Damn, that was hell of a lot of Klaroline to put into one chapter, huh? Hope you enjoyed the kiss I threw in. This isn't the last time they'll kiss, not by a long shot. There will be more like the one that just took place. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Forbidden Fruit is Always the Sweetest," Caroline and Klaus go to dinner at the Mystic Grill, and just before they part for the evening, they share a kiss outside the entrance to the girls' dorms.**_

_**Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! Your feedback means everything to me! **_

_2 Days Later..._

Caroline picked at the food on her tray, even though she was hungry. Ever since she and Klaus kissed after their evening out together, she had a hard time focusing on her studies. She had such a hard time, in fact, that on her History midterm, she got a C+. While that wasn't overly tragic, Caroline blamed it all on Klaus. Damn him for being so sickeningly hot and charming, with an accent that she heard in her sleep.

"Hey, Caroline."

Startled slightly, Caroline turned to see Elena standing there, a tray in her hands. "Oh, hi, Lena."

"Are you okay? You usually don't jump when I say hi to you."

Caroline shook her head. "I'd be lying if I said yes, so I won't. To be honest, I haven't exactly been focusing on much of anything lately." She moved over so Elena could sit next to her. "No matter how hard I try, I just can't see past the fog."

Elena sat down, nodding. She then reached into the pocket of her blazer and pulled out a piece of paper, along with a small box. "Oh, these came for you. Don't worry, I didn't open it or look at what was on the paper, because I know that it's none of my business."

Caroline took the objects from Elena, curious as to what they were. She opened the paper and gasped. It was a drawing and under it was a message that read:

"_Caroline,_

_I enjoyed our evening together. I can't stop thinking about the kiss, and I'm sure you can't either. I was drawing this when you came to my office the other day and I want you to have it. You will find that I portrayed you as tastefully as possible. _

_Hope to see you soon._

_Fondly,_

_Klaus_

_P.S. Enjoy the earrings."_

Caroline blinked at that and opened the box, which contained the earrings emotioned in the message. They were gold, to match her hair, with diamonds on them. Shit, something like this must've set Klaus back a thousand dollars. Elena looked at the earrings as well.

"Oh my God, those are the most gorgeous earrings I have ever seen."

"Gorgeous or not, he shouldn't have bought them," said Caroline. "I mean, just because we had one evening together, that doesn't mean that he has to shower me with expensive gifts." She looked at the drawing again. "Or send me drawings he drew of me."

"Hello, ladies. Room for one more?"

Damon's voice instantly made Elena and Caroline snap to attention. Elena smiled at him, obviously admiring how incredibly sexy he looked in his uniform, as well as imagining him out of it. "Sure, baby."

Damon smiled and sat down next to Elena, shifting her into his lap the second he sat down. He caught sight of the earrings and the drawing that Caroline had in front of her. "Wow, nice. Let me guess, presents from your boyfriend, Klaus?"

Caroline blushed. "Damon, Klaus isn't my boyfriend. I just had dinner with him the other night. That doesn't automatically mean we're dating."

"That's not what I saw when I went out for a smoke by the boys' dorms," said Damon. "You two were in a full lip lock, and from what I saw, you were enjoying it. Face it, Caroline, you want him. In fact, after you pulled away from his kiss, you didn't want to leave. You wanted to kiss him again. Hell, you wanted to go back to his office and have hot, steamy sex with him."

The more Damon spoke, the redder Caroline's cheeks got. "Stop it, Damon! I don't care what you saw, okay? That kiss caught me off guard and I kissed him back because I didn't want to be rude. There's nothing going on between Klaus...Mr. Mikaelson and me."

"Bullshit, there totally is and you know it," said Damon. "You think about him when you don't want to think about him. In fact, I'll bet you want to kiss him. You may think that you're the perfect angel who follows every rule, but you're tempted to break a few for Klaus."

Elena shook her head. "Don't listen to him, Caroline. Damon likes to instigate."

Damon kissed her neck. "Come on, baby, you know you like it when I instigate." He felt her shiver against him and smiled against her neck. "Like now. You're liking my lips on your succulent little neck."

Caroline watched this and then, on the far end of the dining hall, she saw Klaus. Her heart hammered in her chest and then, excusing herself from Damon and Elena, she grabbed her stuff and walked away, her food forgotten.

Klaus saw her leave and, concerned about her, followed her out.

"Caroline, wait."

Hearing that familiar voice behind her, Caroline looked over her shoulder. "Leave me alone."

"Oh, come on, at least let me talk to you," said Klaus. "I need to know what I've done so that I can acquit myself."

Caroline stopped walking and turned to face him. "Acquit yourself? Klaus, this is the twenty-first century. People don't _talk_ like that anymore. And as far as what you've done, you're making it hard for me to concentrate in my classes, I couldn't eat, and your damn accent haunts me in my sleep. Need me to continue? I could go on."

She waited for him to reply and when she got nothing, she scoffed and went to walk away, but Klaus grabbed her wrist. Caroline growled as she turned and looked at him. "Damn it, Klaus, let go of me. I swear to God, if you don't let go of me right now, I'm going to give you a swift kick in the balls."

Klaus ignored her and gently pushed her up against the wall, kissing her roughly and running his hands up and down her small body. "You're so beautiful. I can't stop thinking about you."

Caroline shivered as she heard what he was saying. Damon's words from earlier ran through her mind like a recording: _"Face it, Caroline, you want him. You think about him when you don't want to think about him. You think that you're the perfect angel who follows every rule, but you're tempted to break a few for Klaus."_

Shit, why the hell did this have to be so hard? This was wrong and she knew it. And yet, because it was wrong, it felt right. Shivering again, Caroline returned Klaus' kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and moaning against his mouth as their tongues collided. After a few minutes, she pulled away.

"Klaus, wait a minute, let's just think about this. Granted, we had a great time the other night, but honestly, do you really want to do this? You're way older than I am and..."

"I'm not that much older," said Klaus. "I just turned thirty. Twelve years may seem like a huge gap to you, but trust me, we can make this work."

"How, Klaus? How can we make this work?" said Caroline. "How do I know that you don't already have a girlfriend? Hell, how do I know you're not married?"

Klaus removed one of his hands from its place on her thigh and showed it to her. "See? No wedding ring. I'm still a bachelor. There's no one else. My last girlfriend broke up with me two years ago, and I haven't dated anyone else since then. In fact, my mother even went so far as to assume that I was gay because I haven't brought a girl home in two years, which gave my brothers plenty of ammunition to use at holiday parties."

Caroline said nothing to this, just listened to him. "I...I'm going to need time to think about this."

Klaus nodded and stepped back. "Of course. Take all the time you need, I'll wait as long as it takes. You are a very special girl, Caroline, and you deserve a man who make you feel special." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "You know where to find me when you're ready."

With that, he walked away. Caroline watched him go and bit her lip. Shit, how the hell was she going to be able to cope with this? She knew that if she pursued this, she'd kiss that scholarship to Virginia State University good-bye. And yet, something told her that it would be good for her to take a leap with Klaus. Thing was, would she feel good about herself once she took said leap?

_**Note: Damn, what a chapter, huh? Don't worry, Caroline has feelings for Klaus, she just doesn't know what to do about it. But, she will succumb to them eventually. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Forbidden Fruit is Always the Sweetest," Caroline encounters Klaus after he gives her earrings and the drawing he drew of her.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews thus far! You guys are the best! I got the idea for this chapter before I went to bed last night and thought I'd use it, as a way to up the ante a bit for our leads.**_

_Caroline & Elena's Dorm Room – 2 Weeks Later..._

Caroline turned the pages of her psychology textbook as she lay on her belly on her bed. It had been a grueling two weeks since the encounter with Klaus and she had been doing her damndest to focus on her studies again, in an attempt to put that man out of her mind. She had to admit, though, she did enjoy kissing him, but that was beside the point. Charming as he was, she still barely knew him, not to mention the fact that she had no idea how they were going to make a "relationship" work between them, or how they were going to keep it a secret from everyone. Well, Damon and Elena already knew, but what about Dr. Martin, the one responsible for them meeting in the first place?

"Hey, Caroline."

Caroline looked up from her book to see Elena decked out in a sexy little black dress. "Wow, Elena, you look awesome. What's the occasion?"

Elena smiled. "Thank you. It's for a party that's being held at the Student Center tonight." She nodded at the sweats Caroline was wearing. "You should come. You've been doing nothing but studying the last two weeks since the whole 'incident' with Klaus, and it'll do you no good to keep your nose buried in that damn book. You love parties, remember?"

"That's true," said Caroline. "But, I've got a shit load of work to catch up on."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Caroline, it's Friday. Who the hell studies on a Friday? You can always put it off until tomorrow. Come to the party tonight. You need a night off."

Caroline wanted to protest, but knew it was futile, especially when she knew Elena was right. She had definitely been working too hard lately, and she could use a night off. She placed a bookmark in her book to save her place and got up from the bed.

"Just let me find something suitable to wear."

"I knew you'd change your mind," said Elena. "You won't regret this, Caroline, I guarantee it."

Caroline nodded and went to her closet. After only a moment of searching, she found a navy blue dress with spaghetti straps that she loved, went into the bathroom, and came back looking like she was on her way to a fancy benefit rather than a school party.

She gave herself a look in the mirror while putting on some strawberry lip gloss. "I clean up pretty good." Looking at Elena, she added, "Come on, let's get out of here before I change my mind."

Elena nodded and the two girls grabbed their purses and left the room.

_Student Center – A Short Time Later..._

The party was in full swing, with plenty of booze and music to go around. Caroline smiled as she took in the sights and sounds of the place, the stress from all the studying fading away like a bad memory. She was grateful that Elena convinced her to come out tonight, because she definitely needed a break from everything, especially Klaus.

"I see you're back to your old self," said Elena. "Aren't you glad I dragged you here?"

Caroline nodded. "Oh, yeah, definitely." She looked toward a back corner. "Lena, isn't that Stefan over there?"

Elena looked in the direction that Caroline was looking and saw that her ex-boyfriend was definitely there, _and_ he had Katherine with him. Of course, since those two were practically joined at the hip, it was no surprise that they'd be here together.

"Look at that little slut. Bad enough I have to see them swap spit in class, but they don't have to show up everywhere I go," she said. "The only consolation I have is that Damon's here."

"My ears must be ringing, because I heard my name being mentioned."

Elena turned and saw Damon coming toward her, armed with two glasses, one for himself and the other for Elena, along with a bottle of bourbon that he had snatched from the bar. "Believe me, Damon, I think you'd better not leave my side tonight, because your stupid cousin is here with his slut girlfriend."

Damon looked over and saw Stefan. "I'll be a son of a bitch, it's him all right. Damn it, why the hell does he have to show up here?" He then saw the couple coming toward them. "Shit, here they come." He went over to Elena and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Just pretend to be nice to them and they'll get the hint."

Stefan gave the trio a smile when they got close enough. "Well, look who's here. I didn't expect to see you here tonight."

Elena faked a smile. "Where else would we be?" She looked at Katherine, noticing her outfit. "Nice dress, Katherine."

"Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do, Elena, because I can see through your bullshit," said Katherine. "You're pretending to be nice to us, thinking we wouldn't know. Well, let me tell you something, I'm not stupid."

Elena stood her ground. "No, you're not stupid. But, you _are_ a slut that just so happens to look like me so that Stefan wouldn't feel bad about cheating on me with you last year."

Damon smirked. "Ooooh, she got you there."

"Shut up, Damon," said Stefan. "You have no room to talk, especially since you put her up to this."

"I did no such thing, cuz," said Damon. "Elena's acting on her own accord, completely free of any influence from me." He removed his arm from Elena's shoulders long enough to pour the bourbon into the glasses he had brought, offering his cousin a glass. "Want a sip? I brought plenty."

"No thanks," said Stefan. "I don't drink that shit. I haven't forgotten the stunt you pulled at the last family Christmas party. I was sick for a month after you forced that bourbon down my throat." He then squeezed Katherine's arm. "Come on, babe, let's get out of here. I don't want my cousin's stench to rub off on me."

Katherine nodded and the other couple walked off, leaving Damon, Elena, and Caroline alone. Once they were gone, Damon and Elena clanked their glasses together and drank the bourbon. No sooner did they finish than Calvin Harris' "Feel So Close" began blaring on the speakers. Damon smiled at both Caroline and Elena.

"Come, ladies, let's dance!"

The girls giggled and they followed Damon out onto the dance floor, moving to the beat of the music. Caroline let Calvin's voice overtake her and in that instant, her encounter with Klaus two weeks ago was forgotten. She felt like a completely new person, especially in the company of her best friend and Damon, even if he annoyed the hell out of her sometimes.

_Several Hours Later..._

Caroline watched as Damon and Elena slow danced together, their bodies pressing against each other, occasionally kissing and exploring their mouths with their tongues. Sighing, Caroline then looked at her watch and saw that it was close to 1:00 in the morning. Shit, had she really been out that late? She wanted to tell Elena that they had to leave, but she decided against it, thinking that Damon would probably walk her back to the girls' dorms, or possibly sneak her into the boys' dorms for some late night action.

Grabbing her purse, Caroline exited the building, hoping that she could at least get back for some sleep. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy herself, which she did, but she wanted to climb into bed and rest up for the studying that she would no doubt be doing all day tomorrow.

As she walked down the dark, deserted path, Caroline looked all around her, having heard about the dangers of wandering the campus alone at night. So far, everything was quiet, except for the beating of her heart. Suddenly, Caroline felt herself being grabbed and then thrown against a tree. She looked to see who had grabbed her and when she saw a rather tough looking guy in a ski mask wielding a knife, she went to scream, but the guy clamped his hand over her mouth, pressing the blade of the knife against her throat.

"Don't you dare scream," he growled. "You scream once and I'll kill you."

Caroline mumbled something under his hand and when he removed his hand, she said, "What do you want from me? Money?" She shakily handed him her purse. "Here, just take what you want. I promise I won't tell anyone. Just please don't hurt me."

"Oh, I don't want your money," said the man. "I want to have a little fun with you."

Caroline knew what that meant and, remembering what she learned in karate, she kicked him in his groin and, seeing that he was stunned, ran away, hoping to escape him. However, her attacker quickly recovered and caught up to her, knocking her on the ground, punching her in the face before ripping at her dress with his knife, ignoring her sobs.

However, before he could proceed any further, the masked thug felt himself getting knocked aside, landing rather ungracefully on his ass and when he looked to see who had done it, he saw Klaus standing above him.

Growling, he said, "What the hell, man?"

Klaus didn't answer at first, just grabbed his shirt collar and made him face him. After a few minutes, he said, "Didn't your mother ever teach you to show a young lady some respect? This poor girl did nothing to deserve what you nearly did to her." He punched him in the face and then in the groin, only harder than Caroline did. "I hate men like you, thinking they can get away with treating a woman like she was nothing." He hit him again, this time knocking him unconscious. "Stay put. The police will be here shortly."

Once the attacker was subdued, Klaus then turned and went toward Caroline, who was slowly sitting up. Klaus removed his jacket and knelt down next to her, wrapping it around her. Caroline looked at him and, hot tears stinging her eyes, she threw herself against him, sobbing hard into his chest.

Klaus hugged her to him, running his fingers through her hair. "Shhh. It's okay, you're safe."

Caroline shook in his arms, sobbing harder. "Why the hell did I think I could walk back to the dorms by myself like that? I'm so stupid!"

Klaus pulled back and looked her in the eye. "Don't you ever say that about yourself again. You are not stupid, far from it. You made a mistake, we all do. None of this was your fault, so don't blame yourself for it." He hugged her again. "That's not important now. What's important is that the man who did this is going to be punished."

Caroline said nothing, just sniffed. It was ironic, really. Here she was trying to forget about him and he saved her from being raped. Still, she felt safe in Klaus' arms and although it was strange that he was here at this late hour, Caroline was grateful for it.

_**Note: I know, I'm evil, but I wanted to up the ante a bit, so I thought I'd have Klaus come to Caroline's rescue. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Forbidden Fruit is Always the Sweetest," Caroline goes to a party with Damon and Elena to forget about Klaus. On the way back to the dorms, she is nearly raped by a man in a ski mask, but Klaus comes to her rescue.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews so far! You guys are awesome!**_

_Infirmary – Next Day..._

Caroline groaned as she opened her eyes. As her vision cleared somewhat, she saw that she was in the infirmary. Although she didn't remember how she got there, something told her that Klaus must've brought her in after rescuing her from her would-be rapist.

Speaking of Klaus, she looked over and saw him sitting by her bedside, asleep. He actually stayed with her? But, why? The worst she got from last night's ordeal was a bruised face. _Guess he wanted me to be here for observation, _she thought. _I didn't ask him to save me from that man, but he did it anyway. What was he doing here on campus that late?_

No sooner did she finish that thought than Klaus awoke as well. He smiled at her as he looked at her.

"Good morning, Caroline."

"Morning," she replied. "Why am I here?"

"I know it wasn't necessary, but I wanted you to least have them look at your face," said Klaus. "Thank God I was able to get to you before he did anything worse to you."

"That reminds me," said Caroline. "What exactly were you doing on campus that late at night?"

"I was doing some paperwork in the office," said Klaus. "I didn't intend on staying that late, but ever since my sister moved in with me at my apartment, getting work done has been difficult because she often has her boyfriend over. So, I figured I could get more done if I stayed late here, my work would get done without any interruptions." He gently brushed the cheek that wasn't injured. "As I was going to my car, I saw you being attacked and I did what any gentleman worth his salt would do, I stepped in and prevented him from doing any further damage."

Caroline nodded. At least she knew why he was there. "Thank you."

Klaus was about to reply when Elena walked in, a concerned look on her face. She had heard about the attack from one of the girls in the dorm and wanted to check on her. However, in addition to concern, Caroline noticed she had a guilty look.

"Caroline, thank God you're okay."

"Thanks to Klaus, yes," the blonde replied. "He was working late because his sister is living with him and he didn't want to be interrupted."

Elena smiled at Klaus and then her smile quickly faded. "This is my fault. If I had walked back with you, none of this would've happened."

"No, Elena, don't blame yourself," said Caroline. "It's not your fault."

"It might as well be," said Elena. "I was so caught up in being with Damon that..."

"Elena, she already told you not to blame yourself," said Klaus. "It won't do you any good."

Damon walked in, flowers and a balloon with _**"GET WELL SOON"**_ on it in his hand. "That's what I kept telling her on the way over here. It'll do her no good to blame herself for something that wasn't even her fault. The one who should be blamed here was the asshole who did it."

Klaus nodded. "Precisely. And he's going to have a long time to think about his actions, though I hear they trade rapists for cigarettes in jail, so the inmates will have fun with him."

Elena rolled her eyes and then looked at Caroline. "Did you see what he looked like?"

"No, it was dark and he had a ski mask," said Caroline. "Though, I do know what he said to me. He said, 'Don't you dare scream. You scream once and I'll kill you.'" She bit her lip, tears stinging her eyes. "I was so scared."

Klaus gently took her hand in his. "He won't hurt you again, Caroline, I promise."

"I know, and I appreciate the fact that you were there to help me," said Caroline. "I still hate him and I hope he never sees the light of day again."

At that moment, Caroline's mother, Sheriff Liz Forbes, came into the room. Judging from the look on her face, she seemed to have something important to say. Klaus got up from where he was sitting and nodded at her.

"Sheriff Forbes. I assume you're here about the attack on your daughter?"

"I am," she replied. "Though, I would like to first thank you for saving her, Mr. Mikaelson. When I heard about it, I was out of my mind with worry." She sighed. "Anyway, I came to tell you that there's going to be a trial set for next month."

"As I hoped there'd be," said Klaus. "That bastard deserves to go away for a long time."

"There's more," said Sheriff Forbes. "One of his former victims came down to the station and he's been identified as Mason Lockwood. He's had a sick attraction to girls Caroline's age and younger for the past several years and it took an attempt on Caroline to finally bust him."

Damon growled, especially since he recognized the name. "That heartless son of a bitch!"

Elena blinked. "You know him, Damon?"

"I met him once or twice," said Damon. "Not exactly the kind of guy you'd let baby-sit your little sister, given his reputation."

Caroline listened to all this and finally spoke. "Will I have to testify, Mom?"

"I know this is hard for you under the circumstances, Caroline, but yes," her mother replied. "Don't worry, though, Mason will be closely guarded by the officers in the courtroom, so he can't do anything to hurt you."

"I'll definitely be there to support her," said Klaus. "After what she went through, Caroline will need all the support she can get." He nodded toward Damon and Elena. "Damon and Elena will be there as well."

Sheriff Forbes nodded. "It's all set then. I'll contact our lawyer and she'll help Caroline with her testimony."

With that, she walked out of the room. Damon and Elena followed after her, since they knew that Caroline and Klaus would need their privacy. Klaus sat down after the three of them had gone, looking at Caroline after he was seated.

"I hope that wasn't too forward of me."

Caroline shook her head. "No, I want you to be there. I know there will be plenty of police officers there, but I wouldn't feel safe unless you're there. I don't know why I feel this way, but while I was in your arms after you rescued me last night, I felt...protected. It's kind of ironic, really."

"It is?" said Klaus. "Why?"

"I originally went to that party to forget about you," said Caroline. "Then, you save me from being raped. It was as if fate was controlling everything and I couldn't stop it." She absentmindedly placed her hand on his. "Shit, this is so confusing."

Klaus nodded. "It will be for a while, but you'll realize what you're feeling isn't so bad. And as I said before, I will wait as long as it takes. I'm in no hurry, Caroline."

Caroline said nothing, just got closer to him and laid her head on his chest. Klaus then gently hugged her and ran his fingers through her hair.

_**Note: The rapist has been revealed, as well as the reason why Klaus was there that night. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_

_**P.S. I'll be on vacation from Jan. 8-18, so I won't be able to update for a while.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Forbidden Fruit is Always the Sweetest," the identity of Caroline's would-be rapist is revealed and Caroline has to testify in court against him.**_

_**Thank you for reviews! I apologize if the updates are slow. I was away on vacation and I just got back this past Friday. Without further ado, I shall update. **_

_**ON WITH THE STORY!**_

_Several Weeks Later..._

Caroline fought to keep herself from trembling as she walked through the halls. Ever since she learned the identity of the asshole who nearly raped her, she had been a hard time sleeping at night. Every time she closed her eyes, she could imagine Mason Lockwood in his ski mask, holding his knife against her throat as he threatened to kill her if she screamed. Shit, the thought of that monster's hands on her made her literally sick to her stomach. It made her so sick, in fact, that she threw up both in the morning when she woke up and right after lunch.

What also added to the tension was meeting with the lawyer every day after school to go over her testimony. God, how she hated doing that. Why the hell did she have to testify against the son of a bitch anyway? She didn't feel comfortable with talking about the attack, especially not to a bunch of strangers. To hell with the fact that a majority of them were her mother's colleagues, it was painful enough discussing it at all.

There was only one person that could make this bullshit go away and that was Klaus. It was because of his quick thinking that she was still in one piece and she felt safe with him around. Making up her mind, she went straight to his office, not giving a shit if he was on the phone.

When she got there, she found him with his sketch pad, like she had done the night they went to dinner at the Grill. Klaus looked up from his drawing as soon as she entered. He had been thinking about her a lot the past several weeks, wondering if she was all right. She had literally been to hell and back following her ordeal and it still made his blood boil knowing that someone had the nerve to try and harm her.

"Klaus, have you got a minute? I need to talk to you."

Klaus nodded. "Of course. Come in, have a seat."

Caroline forced a smile and shut the door behind her. She walked toward a leather chair across from his desk and slowly sat down, placing her books on the chair next to it. She then ran a hand through her hair, as though struggling with what to say to him.

"Caroline, are you all right?"

His question made her tremble even more and tears stung her eyes, flowing down her cheeks as she replied, "No. The past several weeks have been hell for me. I can't sleep because of the nightmares and I'm scared about testifying, actually seeing what that monster looks like without his mask."

Klaus saw her crying and, getting up from his chair, went over to her and hugged her. "Shhh. It's okay, love, just let it out." He felt her shaking in his arms and his heart went out to her. "Oh God, if only there was something more I could do. I hate seeing you like this."

A sob escaped her throat as Caroline said, "There is something you can do for me. You can make this all go away. Make me feel safe and loved."

Klaus pulled back. It didn't take him long to figure out what she meant by what she said. "Are you sure? You were nearly raped and I don't want to take advantage of you."

"I'm positive," said Caroline. "Klaus, I need this. I need you."

Klaus didn't know what to say to that as he listened to her reply. Her words sounded so sincere and as much as he wanted to turn her down, he couldn't bring himself to deny her request. Besides, a gentleman never denied a lady's request, no matter how big or small. He felt his cock sprining to life and tried not groan out of the pain he was feeling. Shit, he couldn't begin to count the fantasies he had been having about this since he met her and now that they were about to come true, he didn't know what to do first.

Quickly, he got up and went to the door, locking it for privacy, as well pulling the shades down on the windows. Once that was done, he went over to Caroline, pulled her out of her chair and kissed her passionately, exploring her mouth with his tongue. Caroline returned his kiss without hesitation, feeling an intense heat course through her body as the kiss got deeper, more persistent. Klaus growled playfully against her lips and, eager to be with her, shoved everything off the desk, picked her up bridal style and laid her on the desk, removing her blazer and throwing it on the floor with the papers he had shoved off the desk moments ago. Caroline groaned as she undid the buttons on his shirt, kissing him again, rougher this time.

Klaus kissed her back just as roughly as he unbuttoned her blouse, his cock getting even harder against his pants. Caroline slipped his shirt off after getting the last button open and let her hand reach down to his hard erection, trembling at the feel of it against her hand. Klaus gently placed his hand on hers and held it there.

"You see what you do to me, love? You make me want you and feeling your hand on me is making me want you even more."

Caroline panted at his words. "Klaus, please."

"Please what, sweetheart?" said Klaus. "Tell me what you want."

"Take me," said Caroline. "I want you in me."

Klaus smiled and kissed her. "Your wish is my command, Caroline."

That being said, he got the last button of her blouse undone, slipped it off and threw it on the floor before removing her bra with his teeth, leaving the clasps miraculously intact. He then kissed the valley between her breasts, all the way down to her belly, where he removed her skirt and panties, licking his lips at the most private part of her body, the part that ached for him the most. Smiling again, he kissed her thigh before gently spreading her legs apart and sticking his fingers into her clit, playing with it to heighten her pleasure.

Caroline trembled as she felt what he was doing and let out a scream against her will, an unbelievable amount of pleasure coursing through her. Shit, this man was quite the lover, and she felt guilty for keeping him at arms' length like this. He was so gentle and in that moment, she could feel the world melting around them. No court, no testimony, nothing. It was just the two of them and nothing else mattered.

Klaus then removed his fingers from her clit and licked them, savoring her juices. "You're ready for me, darling, more than ready." He then removed his pants and boxers, smiling at her again. "Prepare for the ride of your life."

Caroline didn't get to answer because she was then silenced by a scorching kiss and Klaus grasped her hips as he drove his throbbing cock into her core, groaning against her mouth at how hot and tight she was. He then began to thrust into her, growling playfully again. Caroline gyrated her hips in time with his movements, keeping in sync with him. Klaus then broke through her hymen, taking her virginity, after which he slowed down a bit.

Caroline looked at him curiously. "What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, darling, you did nothing wrong," he replied. "It's just that I want you to feel comfortable with me inside you. The first time is always uncomfortable for the woman and I want this to be as pleasurable for you as it is for me."

"Klaus, I'm fine, really," said Caroline. "It did hurt a little because it was my first time, but then I felt nothing but pleasure." She kissed him before she rolled over so that she was on top. "Come on, cowboy, let's ride."

Klaus smirked. "As you wish, my lady."

That being said, he picked up speed as Caroline rode him hard and matched his speed. She threw her head back and let out another scream, feeling the sweat cascading down her body. She now knew exactly how Elena felt whenever she and Damon were intimate, and it was the best feeling in the world and in that moment, she felt close to Klaus, really close. And, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she felt like she was falling in love with him.

Klaus let out a scream of his own half a beat later, thoroughly enjoying what this little blonde angel was making him feel and, ethics be damned, he wanted her. She had come to mean so much to him in such a short amount of time and he was never going to let her go, not for anything.

_**Note: Here you go, lovelies, some Klaroline smut. Enjoy and stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Forbidden Fruit is Always the Sweetest," Caroline is nervous about testifying against Mason and goes to Klaus' office, where they have a steamy interlude together.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews so far! You guys are awesome!**_

_Mystic Falls Courthouse – A Week Later..._

The day of the trial came all too soon for Caroline as she walked into the courthouse. Even though she knew that Mason couldn't do anything as long as the officers of the court were there, she was still nervous, because no amount of preparation was going to ease her nerves. In fact, she wished that she didn't have to be here at all.

She trembled as she sat on a bench outside of the room as she waited for the lawyer to arrive, trying not to be nauseous. No sooner did she sit down than she heard footsteps approaching her. Looking up, she saw Klaus and her heart pounded as she stood up and went to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately.

Klaus returned her kiss and felt her tremble in his arms. "Darling, it's all right. Nothing is going to happen to you, I swear it."

Caroline stepped back, tears streaming down her face. "I know, but why do I suddenly get the urge to run away?"

"That's your nerves talking," said Klaus. "Come on, let's sit down."

Caroline said nothing, just nodded and let him lead her back to the bench, sitting in his lap once they sat down, feeling him run his fingers through her hair. She found that she liked when he did this because his touch was so gentle, like it was when they made love in his office last week. In fact, that's where she wished they were right now. Hell, she even wished that they could be in her dorm room, or a hotel, naked and holding each other in bed.

Klaus continued to hold her and saw Damon and Elena coming toward them.

"Is the lawyer here yet?"

Klaus shook his head. "Not yet, but I'm hoping she will be soon." He looked at Caroline. "Caroline is as nervous as anything, the poor dear. And, given the circumstances, I can't say that I really blame her."

Elena nodded, feeling her friend's pain. She still blamed herself for what happened that night, even though she didn't say it out loud anymore. However, it did relieve her mind to know that Klaus had been there to save Caroline.

"I hope she gets here," said Damon. "I want to see Mason Lockwood in jail for what he did."

"You're not the only one," said Elena. "No woman should ever have to go through that kind of hell."

Caroline barely heard either of them. The only thing she was focusing on was the warmth and safety of Klaus' arms. It was here that Sheriff Forbes showed up, along with the lawyer, Erika Strauss, a woman with short, auburn hair and hazel eyes. Unlike the sheriff, who was dressed her uniform, Erika was in a black blazer, white blouse, black skirt, and black pumps.

"Ah, I was hoping to find you waiting for me. Sorry I was a bit delayed. I meant to be here earlier, but traffic was a bitch."

"It's all right," said Elena. "We just got here ourselves." She looked at Caroline, who was looking at Erika while maintaining a firm grip on Klaus' waist. "Caroline has been a nervous wreck, though."

Erika nodded, since she knew all too well what pre-trial nerves were like. She had seen it with many witnesses prior to the moment where they called up to the stand. It was in this moment that Erika wished that this poor girl before her didn't have to be subjected to this.

Sitting down on the bench, she said, "Caroline, listen to me, okay? I know that you're scared, and believe me, it's natural to be scared. But, I want you to know that nothing will happen to you. Mason is under heavy guard and the court officers are trained to handle him should things get out of hand."

Caroline was silent for a minute or two before she said, "Are you absolutely positive that I'll be okay, Erika?"

"It's going to be difficult, I won't lie to you about that," said Erika. "But, you'll be fine. Remember, the prosecutor is going to try to contradict what you're saying, but I want you to stand your ground, no matter what."

Caroline hesitated. Part of her was still screaming at her to run away, but there was another part who believed what Erika was telling her. As much as she wasn't looking forward to actually going in and facing her would-be attacker, Caroline knew that unless she did this, Mason Lockwood would be free to rape another innocent girl, and she'd feel responsible.

"All right," she said finally. "Let's get this over with."

Sheriff Forbes nodded as she listened to this. She was proud of her daughter for agreeing to testify, even if she was reluctant in the beginning.

Before long, it was time to go into the courtroom. Caroline held Klaus' hand firmly as they walked to the Plantiff table. Once they were seated, Caroline saw Mason walk in and sit at the Defendant table with his lawyer, a rather intimidating man named Russell Collinsworth.

Erika scowled over at Russell, determined to beat him and make sure that his client never saw the light of day again for what he had done. Shortly both lawyers and their clients entered, the judge, Evelyn Beckett, entered and took her place at the bench.

Caroline tried to keep from fidgeting as she listened to both Erika and Russell give their opening statements, hoping that her testimony was going to be enough, despite all the coaching Erika had been giving her during the weeks prior to the trial.

Finally, after seemed like forever, Caroline was called up to the witness stand. She shakily stood up, feeling Klaus give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You'll be fine, love," he said. "I'm right here."

Caroline smiled and kissed him softly. "Thank you, Klaus."

That being said, she went over to the witness stand and after she was sworn in, Erika approached her, smiling at her.

"Caroline," she said. "Could you explain, in your own words, describe what happened to you on the night in question?"

Caroline nodded. "Yes. I had gone to a party with my friends, Damon and Elena, because I had been studying hard and I needed a break. The party lasted until about one in the morning. I left the Student Center alone because Damon and Elena were still dancing and it didn't look like they were ready to leave. On the way back to the dorms, I was attacked."

Erika nodded as well. "And is the man who attacked in the court today?"

"He is." Caroline pointed toward the Defendant table. "It was him. He attacked me."

"Let it be put on record that the witness has identified Mason Lockwood as her attacker," said Erika. "Now, Caroline, I know that this isn't easy for you, but do you remember what Mr. Lockwood said to you?"

Caroline gulped. "He...He said, 'Don't you dare scream. You scream once and I'll kill you.'"

Erika nodded. "No further questions, Your Honor."

Caroline then saw Russell coming toward her and gulped, knowing that she was going to tear her testimony apart.

"Miss Forbes," he said. "According to what you just testified, my client attacked you on the way back to the dorm from a party. Now, you can tell what my client looks like today, but did you see what he looked like that night?"

"No, I didn't," said Caroline. "It was dark and he was wearing a ski mask."

"I see," said Russell. "So, is it possible that my client couldn't have been the one who attacked you?"

"No, because what I said is true," said Caroline. "Mason Lockwood attacked me that night. I may not have been able to see his face, but..."

"Also, Miss Forbes, you didn't know who my client was until you were told about a former victim came forward and identified."

Erika stood up, not liking what was happening. Who the hell did Russell think he was? "Objection, Your Honor. He's clearly leading the witness."

"Sustained," said Judge Beckett. "Mr. Collinsworth, do you have any further questions?"

No, Your Honor," said Russell. "I have nothing further."

Judge Beckett looked at Caroline and told her that she could step down. Caroline nodded and walked back to the Plantiff table, taking her seat between Erika and Klaus. Damon and Elena sat behind the Plantiff table and couldn't help but be a little anxious. They didn't exactly like Mason's lawyer and thought that he was an asshole for trying to contradict what they felt was a great testimony.

_Several Hours Later..._

Caroline let out a deep exhale as she exited the courtroom, her heart hammering in her chest. She was grateful that she had gotten through that with only minor difficulty, which had come in the form of that asshole, Russell Collinsworth.

Klaus smiled at her and kissed her. "You did great today, love."

"Yeah, but Mason's lawyer tried to make me out to be a liar."

"Forget about him," said Klaus. "The most important thing is that you may very well have saved another girl from going through what you went through." He kissed her again. "Did you want to get out of here? We can go somewhere private and focus on each other for a few hours."

His suggestion made Caroline smile. "You have no idea how much I want to. Believe me, after the hell I went through in that courtroom, being with you sounds like the perfect remedy." She kissed him. "So, where are we going?"

"Well, how about my apartment?" said Klaus. "Rebekah is away with her boyfriend this weekend, so I have the place to myself." He smiled mischievously, his greenish blue eyes sparkling. "I'd like very much if a certain blonde were to share it with me. I could cook us a romantic dinner and then, we can make love in my bed."

Caroline's heart hammered as he said that. "Let's not waste any time, shall we?"

Klaus maintained his smile as they walked away, their pace quicker than usual, obviously looking forward to some alone time.

_**Note: Yeah, this chapter was kicking my ass. I apologize for the delay in the updates, but I was on a bit of a block. Anyway, here's Chapter 8. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REIVEW!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Forbidden Fruit is Always the Sweetest," Caroline testified against Mason in court and Klaus suggests going back to his apartment.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews, guys! You're the best! No spoilers, just follow along!**_

_Klaus' Apartment..._

Caroline was in awe of the apartment as Klaus led her inside. It was very bit as impressive as his office had been, only just a bit more elaborate. She let her eyes wander all about at the décor, taking everything in. Klaus watched her and couldn't help but smile. God, how he loved her. He especially loved her smile and her laughter, as well as how exquisite her body looked when she was naked.

He was still watching her when his cell phone rang. Not sure who'd be calling, he took his phone out of his pocket and saw Erika's name on the ID screen. Scowling curiously, he brought the phone to his ear and pressed "SEND."

"Ah, Miss Strauss, what a pleasant surprise," he said. "To what do we owe the honor?"

"The jury just came back."

Klaus nodded. "Did you need us to come back as well?"

"No, there's no need," said Erika. "The jury believed Caroline's testimony, much the chagrin of our friend, Mr. Collinsworth. They found Mason Lockwood guilty of attempted rape, as well as the rape of the victim who came forth and identified him. Sentencing is next month, but we're hopeful that he'll get the maximum. Hell, he might even get the death penalty."

"That is excellent news," said Klaus. "I'll be sure to tell Caroline. She'll be ecstatic when she hears it. Thank you so much, Miss Strauss. You've been a big help."

He hung up the phone and saw Caroline looking at him, a curious eyebrow raised. "That was the lawyer. She said that the jury just came back."

"They did?" she said. "Does that mean we have to go back?"

"No, love, we don't," said Klaus. "Turns out that the jury believed your testimony and Mason Lockwood has been found guilty, both for your attempted rape and for the rape of the girl who came forward and identified him."

Caroline smiled. "Oh God, that's great news. Hell, it's the best news I've heard in my life!"

Klaus heard an excited squeal in her voice and smiled again. It was finally over and that meant that Caroline no longer had to be afraid. He went over to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her passionately as he ran his hands up and down her body. Caroline returned the kiss and moaned against his mouth as their tongues collided.

Pulling away slightly, she whispered, "I know that you wanted to make dinner for us, but I was thinking that maybe we could work up an appetite first."

Klaus smiled. "Sounds like a plan to me, love. Our victory definitely deserves a celebration."

That being said, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to his room, kicking the door shut with his foot and then set her down. No sooner did he do this than Caroline grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him in for scorching kiss, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. Klaus returned her kiss and carried her over to the bed, climbing in with her. He peeled off his jacket and threw it on the floor, along with his shirt. Caroline ran her hands across his chest as he leaned back down, kissing him again. Klaus then helped her off with her dress, which he threw on the floor with his discarded shirt and jacket. He reached behind to undo her bra, leaving her lips to kiss both of her breasts, licking the tender nipples with his tongue. Caroline arched her back and let out a scream as she felt what he was doing. It was just as passionate as the first time they were intimate, only this time, they were in his bedroom in his apartment instead on his desk in his office.

Hearing her scream, Klaus felt himself getting hard to the point of pain. Unable to contain his desire to be inside her much longer, he helped her undo the button and zipper on his jeans and pull them down as he then pulled her panties down. Once the rest of their clothes had been removed, Klaus got an idea and rolled Caroline onto her belly, entering her from behind and taking her hands in his.

"Hold on tight, Caroline," he whispered into her ear. "You're about to have the ride of your life."

Caroline never got to ask what he meant because she then felt him thrusting hard and fast into her. She trembled underneath him, feeling all the passion she had for him flow through her body like an electric current. Shit, he was amazing, every bit as amazing as he was the first time. Or perhaps even more amazing, but she didn't dare say it. At least not until he asked her to.

"Oh God, Klaus," she moaned. "You never cease to amaze me."

"I could say the same about you," he replied. "You're a very special girl, Caroline, and you mean the world to me." He kissed her shoulder, keeping the pace he was moving at. "I think I'm falling in love with you. Then again, I've felt that way since the moment you walked through Dr. Martin's office door and our eyes met for the first time."

Caroline smiled, remembering when they met. Granted, it was a bit of an awkward situation, but it turned out to be something good.

_Several Hours Later..._

Klaus held Caroline close to him as they snuggled under the sheets of the bed. It had been several hours since they began their romp and it was the best several hours in the world. Smiling, Klaus looked down and saw that Caroline was asleep, having been worn out by the wonderful sex they just had. Then again, she probably got very little to no sleep prior to the trial, so she finally had the opportunity to get some much needed rest.

Klaus kissed her forehead as he listened to her breathing. "You were very brave today, Caroline. You earned a good rest."

_**Note: Wow, and here I thought I was just going to start this chapter and then finish it later, but once I got going, I decided to continue. Anyway, here's Chapter 9. I know it's been a while since I touched it (the last update being February 17), so I give you an update. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Forbidden Fruit is Always the Sweetest," the trial of Mason Lockwood ends with positive results.**_

_**Thank you for the great reviews, guys! You're awesome! No spoilers, except the action takes place three months later.**_

_Elena & Caroline's Dorm Room – 3 Months Later..._

Caroline coughed as she vomited into the toilet. She hadn't feeling too well the past three months and she tried to blame it on the Thai take out that she and Elena had the other night. Another thing that worried her was that she was three months late for her period. She was usually early or on time. There was another explanation, but just to be sure, Caroline got to her feet and got out the pregnancy test that she bought while out shopping the same day as the purchase of the Thai take out. She took a sample of her urine and placed the test strip in the cup, returning to her bed to wait for the results to show up. If the strip turned pink, she didn't have to worry. However, if it turned blue, that was another matter.

_This has got to be the hardest thing in the world asside from a surprise test in Spanish class,_ she thought. _God, I'm scared shitless right now. Hell, I'm even more scared than I was when I went through that bullshit with the trial three months ago._

After a few minutes of waiting, Caroline went to see what the test showed her. Sure enough, it turned blue. She was pregnant, the results stared her right in the face, and it was obvious that Klaus was the father, because he was the only one she had been intimate with.

The sound of knocking startled her out of her reverie and Caroline went toward the door, looking through the peep hole to see who it was. When she saw that it was Elena, she let out a sigh of relief, opening the door and letting the brunette enter.

Elena then noticed that her friend didn't look too good. "I'd hate to say this, Caroline, but you look like shit."

"That's putting it mildly," the blonde replied. "I just threw up again and I took a pregnancy test."

Elena gasped. "Do you think you're...are you..."

"Yes, Lena, I'm pregnant," said Caroline. "And I don't think you need to guess who the father is, because it's Klaus. He's the only one I've been intimate with." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I have to tell him, since this is his baby as well as mine."

"When you do think it happened?"

"I don't know, really," said Caroline. "The best guess I can come up was after we had sex in his apartment after we got the good news from Erika."

"Well, regardless of when it happened, it happened and you guys have to decide what to do from here," said Elena. "I mean, you're eighteen years old and you're going to be graduating in June. It's not going to be easy hiding a pregnancy bump under a graduation gown."

Caroline bit her lip. _Shit, she's right. Klaus and I have to sort this out and fast. I know that we love each other, and this baby was created out of that love, so chances are that the choice will be to keep the baby. Of course, I won't know for sure until I talk to Klaus and let him know what's going on._

"Lena, I'm going to Klaus' office," she said finally. "I'm going to go stir crazy if I stay here."

The brunette nodded in agreement and without a word, Caroline exited the room, her heart pounding in time with her sneakers. She didn't know what she was going to be in for when she got to Klaus' office, but the one she did know was that she had to tell him about the baby.

_Klaus' Office – Five Minutes Later..._

After what seemed like forever, Caroline arrived at the office and stopped when she saw Dr. Martin's silhouette on the window. Great, what the hell was he doing there? He was just going to make things even more complicated than they already were. She tried to urge herself to move, but found it to be impossible. Finally, she opted to sit down and wait for whatever business he had with Klaus to conclude. For all she knew, it was probably stuff related to the school.

She didn't have to wait too long, however, because Dr. Martin stepped out and when he saw Caroline, he raised a curious eyebrow. "Caroline? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see Mr. Mikaelson." Caroline wasn't sure if she should call Klaus by his first name in front of Dr. Martin or not, so she opted for the more respectful approach.

"I see," he replied. "And what may I ask is your reason for seeing him?"

"I need to talk to him on a very urgent matter," said Caroline. "Something that only he can help me with. I know that seems vague, sir, but that's all I can say about it."

Dr. Martin was still confused and was about to ask her what she meant when he heard Klaus' voice behind him saying, "It's all right, Jonas, I know why she's here. You can send her in."

Sighing, Dr. Martin then said to Caroline, "You may go in, Caroline."

Caroline nodded quickly and got up out of the chair, heading into the office and closing the door behind her. She felt her heart hammering in her chest so loud that she was afraid that it would burst out at any given moment. Klaus noticed this and went over to her, hugging her to him. He felt her trembling against his hands and stepped back, giving her a worried look.

"Caroline, love, are you all right? You're trembling."

Caroline didn't verbally respond right away. Instead, she kissed him softly. Klaus returned her kiss, moaning against her mouth as the kiss deepened. Finally, they broke the kiss, gazing into each other's eyes. There was a bit of an uneasy silence between them until Caroline decided to speak.

"Klaus, there's something I really need to tell you."

Klaus nodded. "Is it bad?"

"No, it's not bad," she replied. "It's...actually good." She cleared her throat. "Klaus, there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it. I'm...I'm pregnant."

"You are?"

Caroline nodded in confirmation and gently took his hand, placing it on her belly. "I'm going to have your baby, Klaus. I know that this was unexpected, but I just found out and since you're the father, I knew that I had to tell you." She bit her lip. "I just...don't know what to do. I mean, my mom was the same age as me when she got pregnant with me. She married my dad soon afterward, but it didn't last long because he left just two months before I was born. I never met him and I have no intention of meeting him either."

Seeing that Klaus was quiet, she added, "Klaus, you're scaring me. Just say something so that I know that you heard me."

"I heard you, Caroline," he replied. "I'm thinking about what steps to take."

Caroline nodded. "What do you think we should do?"

"I can tell you _one_ thing, you're _not_ having an abortion," said Klaus. "This is _our_ child, something we created together out of love, and we're keeping it."

Caroline nodded again, relieved that he wanted to keep the baby. "Okay, we're keeping it. What _else_ should we do?"

"I think you know."

He was right, she did know what else, because she then saw him get down on one knee before her, taking her hand. "Klaus, please, you don't..."

"Let me talk, love." He kissed her knuckles and looked up at her. "Caroline, even though we've only known each other a short time, I feel like I've known you all my life. You've made my world a lot brighter since we met and I find myself falling more and more in love with you every day and if you'll have me, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He used his free hand to reach into his pocket and pull a small velvet box, opening it to reveal a diamond ring with a gold band. "Caroline Lillian Forbes, will you marry me?"

Caroline couldn't breathe as she looked at the ring. At first, she thought it was a dream, but when she pinched and let out a soft "ouch," she knew it was real. She felt tears welling up in her blue eyes. "Klaus, it's beautiful. I love you so much and...yes."

"Yes?"

Caroline smiled. "Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes, I will marry you!"

Klaus returned her smile and placed the ring on her finger, kissing it before getting to his feet and kissing her lips, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. Pulling away slightly, he whispered against her lips, "Unlike your father, I have no intention of leaving. I plan on staying put. You and our child mean the world to me and I'm not going to leave you, ever."

_**Note: Better late than never, huh? Stay tuned for more!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Forbidden Fruit is Always the Sweetest," Caroline finds out she's pregnant. She tells Klaus about it and then, he proposes to her.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews! You guys are awesome!**_

_Cafeteria – Lunch Time..._

"Oh my God, Caroline, that's a beautiful ring!"

Elena could hardly contain her excitement as she looked at her friend's engagement ring when she joined Caroline at their table at lunch. "So, are you going to tell your mom about this?"

Caroline bit her lip at that. She wasn't sure if she should tell her mother, even though part of her wanted to. After all, she couldn't hide her pregnancy forever, and she couldn't lie about her relationship with Klaus. Shit, as if her life couldn't get any more complicated.

"I don't know, Lena," she replied. "I mean, I know that I should, but I'm scared, you know? She had me when she was a teenager. Hell, she was forced to raise me alone because my asshole of a dad walked out on her two months before I was born. Still, I'm nervous about her reaction."

"You won't know how she'll act unless you tell her," said Elena. "Come on, it'll be better than lying to her about it."

"Lying to who about what?"

Damon's question startled the girls and then Elena shook her head. "I was just telling Caroline that she should tell her mom that she's pregnant and engaged to Klaus." She saw his confused look. "Care, show him the ring."

Caroline lifted her hand and Damon examined the ring. "Holy shit, that's one hell of a ring. That must've set him back a few thousand dollars."

"Don't worry, it was worth it, because I said yes," the blonde replied. "He told me that he didn't want me to get an abortion because this baby was something we created out of the love we have for each other and that he's not going to leave me, like my dad left my mom."

Damon nodded as he sat down. "Well, something tells me that telling your mom isn't the only thing you should worry about. There's still the matter of Dr. Martin, the guy responsible for introducing you and Klaus. He's going to find out about this sooner or later. I would know, having been busted by him for all kinds of shit."

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, that is going to be a problem. He doesn't know about us yet, thank God, but I do agree that somewhere along the line, he's going to find out, one way or the other." She ran a hand through her hair. "Just wish there was an easier way to handle this."

"You're not the _only_ one who thinks that," said Damon. "But, knowing you, you'll figure it out."

"Thanks, Damon," said Caroline. "It's good to know that I have friends who have confidence in me."

_After Lunch..._

Caroline took her time as she walked down the hall to her next class, her thoughts on how she was going to break the news of her pregnancy and engagement to her mother. However, she was brought out of her reverie by the buzzing of her phone. Curious, she took it out and saw that she had a message from Klaus. That's weird, she just saw him earlier. _Probably wanted to check on me,_ she thought. _I swear, that man is too much._

She opened the message and it read: _"Your mother called. She wants you to call her back."_

Caroline gulped when she read that. Shit, she wasn't prepared. Quickly, she typed her response: _"Did you tell her about the baby and that we're engaged?"_

She pressed SEND and then, a few seconds later, she got Klaus' response: _"No, I didn't. I thought it best that you told her."_

"_But, I'm not prepared. What the hell am I going to tell her?"_ Caroline was panicking as she typed that out. Exactly how does one begin such a conversation? More importantly, what would Liz think about the whole thing? True, Damon had given her his vote of confidence earlier, but what if it wasn't enough?

"_Tell her the truth."_

_Easy for _him_ to say,_ thought Caroline. He's_ not the one whose mother is a cop._

Sighing, she decided to give her mother a call. She ducked into the girls' bathroom and checked to see if anyone else was there. Seeing no one, she locked the door for privacy and dialed Liz's number, ignoring her trembling fingers as she dialed. As she heard it ringing, Caroline felt her heart hammer in her chest, followed by a wave of nausea. Thankfully, she managed to keep it at bay in time to hear her mother's voice on the other end.

"I see that Klaus gave you my message."

Caroline nodded. "He did, even though you didn't specify your reason for wanting me to call you. What's going on, Mom, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, honey," said Liz. "I just wanted to talk to you. We haven't talked much since the trial."

Caroline bit her lip. "Mom, there's something I need to tell you. Promise you won't freak out?"

"I promise."

"Do you really promise? Or are you just saying that?"

"I really promise," her mother replied. "Caroline, calm down and tell me what you need to tell me."

Caroline bit her lip again. _It's now or never._ "Mom, I...I'm pregnant."

There was a silence on the other end as soon as Caroline blurted out her news. Great, this wasn't good. In fact, this was worse than not good. This was FUBAR to the extreme. Finally, Liz said, "You're what?"

"I'm pregnant, Mom."

"Caroline Lillian Forbes, I'm surprised at you," said Liz. "What the hell were you thinking? Didn't you pay attention to the stories I told you about how I got pregnant when I was your age?"

"I _did_ pay attention, Mom," said Caroline. "Will you stop making it sound like I did it out of spite? I didn't _plan_ to get pregnant, it just happened." She sighed and added, "And I'm _not_ getting an abortion, if that's what your next words are."

"Who's the father?"

Caroline was somewhat relieved, even though her pounding heart, not to mention the rising bile in her throat, said otherwise. "Klau...Mr. Mikaelson. After the trial, we...kind of celebrated the fact that Mason was found guilty. One thing led to another and you can pretty much guess what happened from there."

"I knew there was something going on between you two," said Liz. "And I'm guessing that you told him about the baby?"

"I did. Elena told me to after I told her," said Caroline. "And before you say anything else, Mom, I want you to know that he's asked me to marry him."

"That's the exact same thing your father did, only to leave me two months before you were born."

"That won't happen with me," said Caroline. "He told me that he loved me and that unlike Daddy, he has every intention of staying." A sob escaped her throat as she added, "I'm sorry, Mom. I love you so much, and I don't want you to think that I'm a horrible daughter."

"Caroline, that's _not _what I'm thinking," said Liz. "You're a _wonderful_ daughter, and I love you, no matter what choices you make." She sighed. "And I'm sorry for reacting the way I did. I guess the news threw me for a loop."

"So, it doesn't bother you that you're going to be a grandmother before you're actually ready?"

"I won't lie to you, it hasn't really hit me yet, but no, it doesn't bother me," said Liz. "I love you, Caroline, you know that, right?"

"I do," said Caroline. "I'll see you soon."

Then, no sooner did she hang up than she felt the nausea return and ran into the stall to throw up. Although that hadn't exactly been an easy phone call to make, part of her was glad that it was over.

_**Note: Hey, guys, I'm here with an update! I apologize for the lack of Klaroline in this, but I promise that there will be plenty of it in the next chapter. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


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